ITV’s Daglish: ‘Connectivity isn’t everything’

In a riposte to C4’s Jonathan Allan’s assertions that TV advertising was all about data and connectivity, ITV’s group commercial director Simon Daglish told a Carat advertising event that connectivity and evolving technologies will not end the role of traditional TV channels, they will only make them stronger.

Daglish warned against overestimating the effect evolving technologies will have on traditional TV channels. “We tend to overestimate the short term impact of technology and underestimate the long term. Everyone thought TV would be the death of radio, but radio remains as strong as it ever was. The same was said about the introduction of video tapes and its impact on cinema. So is connectivity really going to end the role of channels – I don’t think so.”

What technology will do is enhance the traditional TV experience, said Daglish. “Technology is not going to take away from TV it will add to it. People are watching more linear TV now than ever before. What technology has done is allow consumers to watch more of it in different ways across different devices. That is what we must remember going forward,” he said.

Too much choice just confuses the consumer and the result being that the role of trusted broadcaster brands will become even more important, according to Daglish.